Lipstick for adding color, texture, and protection to the lips has been available in cylindrical metal tubes since 1915. Classic problems with lipstick containers include losing the lipstick cap when the lipstick is jostled in a purse, and having the lipstick melt from the heat of the sun.
Lipstick tubes have improved to address some of these problems. However, a user conventionally must buy the lipstick dispensing tube with the lipstick, adding significant cost. The lipstick container has become so associated with the lipstick product it contains that the dispensing tube itself is also referred to as a “lipstick.” The marketing of lipstick often becomes marketing of the dispenser tube. Since the cost of the lipstick and dispenser combination is relatively high, a manufacturer may limit the number of lipstick types or lipstick colors to be offered, to avoid an overstock of relatively expensive dispensers containing less popular lipstick colors or shade variations.